


King Tana's Wounded Spirit

by canufeelthemagictonight



Series: ETNuary [17]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, ETNuary, Five Stages of Grief, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Happy Tana Day!, King Tana!, Kings & Queens, Revenge, Sad, Stabbing, Swords, Tana lives, but Gabbie still dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22295626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canufeelthemagictonight/pseuds/canufeelthemagictonight
Summary: It's like Tana's heart just got flattened by a steamroller and then set on fire.Tana Mongeau survives the Black Knight's challenge...but her best friend does not.An Escape the Night AU. Day 17 of ETNuary.
Relationships: Gabbie Hanna & Tana Mongeau
Series: ETNuary [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587721
Comments: 15
Kudos: 17





	King Tana's Wounded Spirit

**Author's Note:**

> Day 17 is Tana Mongeau! I like her. She deserved better. Why, exactly, am I putting her through hell?

_Omigod, did I just finish the second puzzle too?_ is the last positive thought that Tana has before her personal hell breaks loose.

The Black Knight appears with his sword drawn. Tana and Gabbie run to the protection circle, but while Tana makes it through the green, an invisible force field prevents Gabbie from entering. "Omigod!" Gabbie's face goes pale. "Tana, it won't let me in! What do I do?"

"I don't know." Tears form in Tana's eyes as she realizes what is about to happen. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know..."

"Gabbie! Tana!" shouts Alex, having just shown up along with the rest of the group.

Gabbie gives up on entering the circle and tries to make a run for it, but she's not fast enough to outrun the Black Knight. He catches up to her, grabs her, and stabs her through the chest.

It's like Tana's heart just got flattened by a steamroller and then set on fire. _"Gabbie!"_

The Hollywood Star lies lifeless on the ground.

Tana goes through an out-of-order version of the first four stages of grief in about five seconds. First, denial: _She's not dead, right? She can't be dead. Not Gabbie._ Then, bargaining: _Maybe there's a way to bring her back?_ Then, depression: _I just lost my best friend. What's the point in trying anymore? We're all probably gonna die here anyway._ Finally, as her broken gaze settles on the laughing Black Knight, she transitions into anger: _That son of a bitch is going to_ pay _for what he did to Gabbie!_

She powers through the remaining two challenges on nothing but sheer vengeful adrenaline, not even bothering to pay attention to what's going on around her. That done, she ignores the calls of her friends, claims the tears of the Lady of the Lake, and downs them all in one go.

_I'm the king._

All it takes is a single tug for Excalibur to slide smoothly out of the stone and into Tana's clammy hands. Tana screams "This is for Gabbie!" and charges at the Black Knight, who's just defeated Merlin. He does his best to dodge her (admittedly amateur) swordsmanship, but even he can't stand against the might of the furious Pin-Up Girl. Before long, she delivers the finishing blow.

The other YouTubers cheer her name. She's earned the respect and love she's always wanted.

But she doesn't care about such things anymore.

She kneels down next to Gabbie's body as her mental state shifts back into denial. "Gabbie?" Her trembling voice cracks. "Gabbie, I did it, I killed him, I'm the king, wake up, I love you, Gab, please don't be dead..."

"Tana, we gotta go," sighs Colleen. "We're running out of—"

She is promptly shut up by Tana bursting into tears.

In the end, it's Bretman who manages to pry Tana away from Gabbie and gently escort her back to the museum. As she leaves, Tana steals one last look at her fallen friend, and a part of her wishes that they'd just died together. The rest of her, meanwhile, is more determined than ever to defeat this game and escape.

It's what Gabbie would've wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: Manny Mua!


End file.
